International pressure on Israel is growing: More than 20 states have issued a joint statement calling for an end to the attacks and aid for the people of Gaza. Many EU states signed the statement – Germany did not.
Numerous countries and the EU Commission are increasing pressure on the Israeli government—albeit only in the form of appeals. In light of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, they called for immediate action against the"spreading famine."
"Humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable proportions," says a joint statement signed by EU diplomats and the foreign ministers of 26 countries – including many European countries, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Urgent action is needed to"halt and reverse the starvation" in the Palestinian territory.
Germany is not a signatory
The statement calls on Israel to authorize"all aid deliveries from international non-governmental organizations" and to stop hindering their work. Humanitarian aid must not be politicized."We need a ceasefire that can end the war so that hostages can be released and aid can reach Gaza unhindered by land."
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, two other members of the EU Commission, and several EU member states signed the declaration, including France, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Spain. Germany is not among the signatories.
According to the UN,"general famine" threatens
Due to the emergency situation in the Gaza Strip, international pressure on Israel has been growing for weeks. According to the UN, the amount of humanitarian aid reaching the coastal region by land and airdrops remains insufficient. The approximately 2.4 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are threatened by"general famine," according to the UN.
The Israeli government's plans to further intensify its military campaign in the coastal strip and capture Gaza City have heightened international concerns about even more civilian casualties among Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government justifies these actions with the war against the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by Hamas's brutal major attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
New attempt at negotiations
Almost two years later, Islamists in the Gaza Strip still hold 49 hostages. According to the Israeli army, 22 of them are still alive. Efforts toward a ceasefire and hostage negotiations are making slow progress, if any.
The Egyptian government, according to its own statements, is currently attempting, together with the United States and Qatar, to achieve a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. With this renewed initiative, the three mediating countries are working"very hard" to advance an existing plan for a 60-day ceasefire, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters in Cairo. The main goal is"to return to the original plan." A Hamas delegation is reportedly on its way to Cairo.
This plan includes a 60-day ceasefire, during which"some hostages" are to be released in exchange for "some" Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Furthermore, the plan provides for the"unlimited and unconditional" import of humanitarian and medical supplies into the Palestinian Territory.
